Image: Supplied.

Yet to race at the Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari venue in Imola, Italy, the circuit will serve up a new challenge for undefeated points leader Alvaro Bautista as the 2019 Motul FIM Superbike World Championship (WorldSBK) heads there this weekend.

The Aruba.it Racing – Ducati contender tested at the track two weeks ago, granting him a head-start on set-up and familiarising himself with the 4.9km circuit, however the Spaniard acknowledges he needs to gain a greater understanding of lines ahead of the trio of races.

“Two weeks ago I had the chance to test at Imola, a circuit where I’ve never raced before,” Bautista explained. “It was very useful because now I have a few more markers for the weekend race. The track is a bit ‘old style’ – it’s very narrow, with a lot of hard braking points, but it’s got a nice combination of fast corners.

“All things considered, it’s a fun circuit, even though I still have to interpret the lines better. It’ll surely be a great weekend and we hope to arrive at the same competitive level we’ve had so far. For the Aruba team’s and the Ducati factory’s home race, we absolutely want to be and must be on the top of our form!”

Bautista leads the standings with a 53-point advantage over four-time defending champion Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team).